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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26915677">stars are shining bright</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/velcrooooo/pseuds/velcrooooo'>velcrooooo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Mechanisms (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-Typical Character Death, I am filled with hubris, I honestly have no idea where this is going you know as much as me, Ill update the tags as it continues, Multi, Raphaella Mechanized Herself, probably, slaps roof of ch2, slowburn, they get better dont worry, toy archivist stans come get yalls juice</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 00:54:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,398</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26915677</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/velcrooooo/pseuds/velcrooooo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>---</p>
<p>Jonny immediately drew his gun and shot her in the chest. She gasped, pain bursting from where the bullet hit her. Blood stained her shirt, but the wound was slowly closing up. "Ow." She muttered, glaring at him.</p>
<p>She spread her gleaming, metal wings, staring him in the eyes as the wound healed fully. </p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Hi yes I have nothing to say for myself this is all self-indulgent nonsense</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ivy Alexandria/Raphaella la Cognizi/The Toy Soldier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>There IS blood in this chapter, and y'know Raph mechanizes herself, so be aware of that</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Raphaella la Cognizi liked to know things. She was constantly wanting to know </span>
  <em>
    <span>more </span>
  </em>
  <span>and </span>
  <em>
    <span>more, </span>
  </em>
  <span>pushing the limits on what should be possible.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When she heard about The Mechanisms, she was intrigued to say the least. Flyers on the walls declared them immortal space pirates roaming through the galaxy, telling stories and singing songs.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Which was why she found herself wandering into a bar on her planet, where The Mechanisms happened to be performing. She stood at the back of the audience, watching quietly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They told a story of a revolution in space many years in the past. Or the future. Raphaella wasn't quite sure. Either way, it was very interesting, and they were quite good.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The part of the show that really piqued her interest was about halfway through. A member of the band (Nastya, if she was remembering names right) shot the lead singer in the head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The audience gasped, and a few people screamed, but he seemed entirely unbothered, if not a little annoyed, by the whole situation.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raphaella watched in awe as the wound seemed to slowly knit itself back together, leaving no trace of a bullet hole to begin with. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For the rest of the show her mind raced. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What had they done to become immortal? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Was a question that bounced around in her head. More importantly, </span>
  <em>
    <span>could she do it?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Raphaella wanted to know things. She had such a short time to learn as much as possible, and the idea of being immortal was very appealing to her. She didn't exactly want to </span>
  <em>
    <span>be </span>
  </em>
  <span>a Mechanism, but she definitely wanted to know how they had become immortal, and how she could copy it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She silently trailed after the Mechanisms after the concert, following them from a considerable distance back to avoid getting shot.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They lived in a starship. The biggest one Raphaella had ever seen, if she was being honest. They were all very loud, and one of them in particular made a lot of hand gestures while he talked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She stared at them for a few more minutes, watching as they boarded the ship. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What is so different about them?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Raphaella la Cognizi kept tabs on the Mechanisms. She had mostly managed to keep a safe distance from them, but she could have sworn one of them caught her staring one day. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She knew something was very obviously different about them. Gunpowder Tim and his mechanical eyes, Nastya Rasputina's silver blood, Marius von Raum and his metal arm, and Drumbot Brian who seemed to be mostly metal. But what about Jonny D'Ville? Or Ashes O'Reilly? Or Ivy Alexandria? Raphaella wasn't sure about the Toy Soldier. It looked like it was made of wood. Was it even one of them?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Either way. Raphaella was very curious, and she desperately wanted to </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>exactly what was different about each one. Did these mechanical parts have anything to do with their immortality?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She was there when a few of them looted a shop. She watched from afar. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>watched </span>
  </em>
  <span>them get shot. She even saw one of them (Jonny D'Ville?) fall down dead for a solid minute before he got right back up and kept shooting.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So maybe it wasn't immortality the way she had always thought of it. It seemed to be more of an incredibly advanced regeneration that could bring them back from even death. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wonder if it has limits. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought to herself quietly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They played another concert within the same month. She knew Jonny D'Ville had a mechanical heart, and she was almost certain that Ashes O'Reilly's lungs were also metal.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>All she wanted to know now was how she could replicate these and make herself immortal. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There wasn't anything wrong about Raphaella. She was perfectly healthy, and she didn't have a need for a mechanism that was her heart or lungs. Besides, she was fairly confident in her abilities as a scientist, but she wasn't quite brave enough to do anything like that to herself. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was a bit of a stupid idea she had one night. She hadn't been sleeping nearly as much as she should have, and she kept nodding off at her desk. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What if I could make mechanical wings?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She went to work sketching potential designs, but she wasn't exactly serious about it at first. That is, until nearly a week later, when she had scraped together a design that, in theory, could be functional. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her breath caught in her throat when she took another good look at her work. Beautiful wings, which she planned on making out of an aluminum alloy. It wasn't a final design by any means, but it was a good start.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was pitch black out. She had all the equipment she would need with her, and she camped outside of the massive starship the Mechanisms lived in. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She had been planning and waiting and keeping track of them for almost three months. She didn't have a lot of time left, and if she wanted to get into the ship, it would have to be tonight. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She ducked behind a bush when an entrance to the ship swung open, and five of them came out. She frowned. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I was hoping all of them would leave. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought bitterly. She did have a plan for if this happened, though.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She rested a hand on the gun she had brought with her. She wasn't very good with it, but as long as she could get close enough to fire without getting shot first it wouldn't matter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She waited. One minute. Two. Three.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After she was sure they wouldn't be coming back she got up, slowly making her way towards the ship. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The door creaked open. She had been expecting it to be locked, and was prepared to get through anyway, so it was a pleasant surprise.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She wasn't quite sure where she was going. It was a massive ship, and there was a real possibility she could be wandering through it for hours.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She frowned, creeping through the halls of the ship silently, keeping an eye out for any of the crew. She went a fair amount of time without seeing anyone, so she assumed whoever was left on board was either asleep or far away from her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Until she heard footsteps. Someone was walking towards her quickly. Raphaella tensed up, slowly reaching for her gun and clutching it tightly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her breath quickened a little bit as the footsteps got nearer. If she died here than all of her work to get to this point would all be a waste. It likely wouldn't be a quick death either.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She put her finger on the trigger of her gun, raising it slowly and pointing it at the corner of the hall. If anyone walked by she would be able to shoot them immediately. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as the crew member came into view she fired a few shots wildly, ducking out of the way in case she missed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The woman swore and fell to the ground. Raphaella could see drops of silver blood on the walls. She shot Nastya Rasputina once, twice, three more times until she was sure she was dead.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raphaella took a second to breathe. Her heart was beating very quickly, and adrenaline was still coursing through her veins.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She exhaled, turning around and taking off down the halls. She wasn't sure how long it would take for her to regenerate, but she didn't want to stick around to find out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No one else had come after her. She wasn't sure if they even really </span>
  <em>
    <span>cared </span>
  </em>
  <span>that she was onboard. Which, quite frankly, was a little unsettling.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Deep within the ship there was a lab. She had a difficult time finding it, but after almost two hours of slowly and silently making her way through the rooms of the ship she found it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was dark, and everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, as if it hadn't been visited in years. Probably hadn't. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She set down her stuff, taking a deep breath and getting a good look around. There were pages and pages of notes on mechanization stacked neatly on several shelves, though they were very old, and Raphaella didn't understand a lot of it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She could figure it out. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>would </span>
  </em>
  <span>figure it out. She wasn't going to die in this lab, no matter what.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Time started to lose meaning after a while. She worked non-stop, referring to both the notes she had found in the lab and her own notebook throughout the time she had spent.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She thought the ship might have taken off at some point, but she wasn't sure. She didn't seem to notice her hunger or thirst, and remained absorbed in the project. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For the first day or so, she was very afraid someone might come looking for her, and stayed very alert, her hand flying towards her gun whenever she heard a sound.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After a while she wasn't as on edge. They probably thought she was dead. Honestly, even </span>
  <em>
    <span>she </span>
  </em>
  <span>was a little surprised she had made it this far.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Either way. No one was there to stop her when she was finally finished. She took a step back, exhaling softly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They were </span>
  <em>
    <span>beautiful. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Two long wings that stretched out way past her arms, each feather made of sheets of solid aluminum alloy about as thick as her hand. They weren't too heavy, and if she survived the process, she would probably get used to them after a little while.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She laughed breathlessly, putting her hands over her mouth. For months she had been preparing for this moment, and yet it was more terrifying and exhilarating than anything she could have ever imagined.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She went back to the supplies she had brought, taking out a long scalpel and holding it in her shaking hands. It would hurt, and there was always a chance she </span>
  <em>
    <span>would </span>
  </em>
  <span>die, but it would be impossible for her to back out now. Not when she was at this point.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The next few minutes were hazy and full of pain and red. She made two long cuts down her back, sliding the wings into place.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Pain burst through her entire body, and she collapsed onto the ground, biting back a shriek of pain to avoid alerting the rest of the crew. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her vision blurred, and she slowly lowered her body to the ground. Her ears were ringing, and the pain in her torso only intensified as the seconds creeped by.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She was stretched out on the dusty ground of the lab, blood staining the floor around her. Her breathing slowed to a stop, and she relaxed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn't know how much time had passed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She woke up with a gasp as her body started up again, pain prickling through her for a moment as everything caught up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She took a few deep, heavy breaths, slowly rising to her feet. She stumbled, and leaned against a table. Her shirt and hands were stained red with blood, but the pain was completely gone. All her hunger and thirst and exhaustion had also faded.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I died. I died. I died and came back. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Raphaella was shaking a little bit. She had done it. She'd really done it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The wings definitely weren't as heavy as they could have been if she'd used a different metal. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Moment of truth. She took a deep breath, and slowly spread her wings. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Her </span>
  </em>
  <span>wings. It was a little uncomfortable, but after a few minutes of slowly stretching them out, it felt a little better.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She was fairly certain it had worked, seeing as she had died and come back, but she wanted to be sure. She picked up her scalpel again, tensing up and making a long cut down her arm.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She hissed in pain, jerking her hand away and clenching her fists. The pain slowly started to pass, and the shallow cut started to fix itself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She laughed out loud, flexing her arm to test it out. She was fine. She was completely fine.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She took a few more steps, making sure everything was working right, before heading towards the door to the lab.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were in space. They weren't on her planet any more. She could tell that as soon as she left the dark laboratory and stepped into the halls. She could see the stars shining in the distance out a window.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She walked through the hallways with confidence now. She knew that even if one of them found her, there was nothing they could do. Not anymore.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She could hear voices nearby. It sounded like a large-ish group of people, so she assumed most, if not all, of the crew was nearby. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She peeked around the corner, catching sight of the crew. Four of them were sitting at a table, talking very loudly. It seemed like they were arguing about something.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raphaella stepped out into the open. "Hello!" She called out, smiling slowly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jonny immediately drew his gun and shot her in the chest. She gasped, pain bursting from where the bullet hit her. Blood stained her shirt, but the wound was slowly closing up. "Ow." She muttered, glaring at him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She spread her gleaming, metal wings, staring him in the eyes as the wound healed fully. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Son of a bitch." Someone swore. Tim maybe? Raphaella wasn't sure.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"My name is Raphaella la Cognizi. It's nice to meet you." She said slowly, tilting her head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Jonny D'Ville." Jonny lowered his gun hesitantly. "Come sit. I think we need to talk."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>--<br/>Ivy froze when the woman inside turned around and made eye contact with her. They both stood there, unmoving for a few moments.</p>
<p>Ivy most certainly did not recognize her. She was tall, and had long blond hair. And wings.<br/>--</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The other three introduced themselves as Tim, Marius, and Ashes. Raphaella didn't tell them much. Just that she came from the last planet they had been on, and yes, she did in fact do this to herself. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sitting was uncomfortable. She hadn't quite figured out how to do it with her new wings yet, and she had to change positions every few seconds.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Why </span>
  </em>
  <span>did you do it, though?" Tim asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raphaella smiled at him, and didn't answer. "So. How long do you think it will be before you all land again?" She asked Jonny, turning away from Tim.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He shrugged. "Hell if I know." He said unhelpfully, propping up one of his legs on the table.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Marius rested his elbow on the table, and put his face in his hand. "Are you going to stay with us?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Just until I can get off on another planet." She responded.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Might change your mind after hanging around with us for a few months." Jonny joked. "We're delightful."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tim swatted at him, and Raphaella watched in amusement. "Right." She leaned forward and rested one of her hands on top of the other. "I think I'll be going. It was nice to meet you all, I'm sure I'll be seeing you around."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Where are you going?" Marius asked, crossing his arms. "I can show you around the ship, if you'd like."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raphaella paused for a moment, and shook her head. "I don't think that will be necessary."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Right. Yeah. Where </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>you going?" Ashes spoke up, crossing their arms. "You can't just show up and expect to have free reign of the place."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ah. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Raphaella frowned. She hadn't quite considered what she would do in this scenario.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Hold on, they have a point. You just showed up, mechanized yourself, and now you're just going to fuck off and do whatever?" Jonny raised his eyebrows.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raphaella huffed indignantly. "Right. Yeah." She sighed. "All I need, really, is an empty room to set up all my stuff, and I'll be out of your hair for the rest of my stay." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The four Mechanisms exchanged glances, and Raphaella folded up her wings a little tighter. There were so many things that could go wrong at this point. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They can't kill me. They can't kill me. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Raphaella reassured herself uneasily.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"It'll only be a year, tops." Tim shrugged. "It's not like she can do any real damage."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jonny turned his gaze back to Raphaella's wings for a moment. "And you'll leave as soon as we land planetside?" </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes." She smiled pleasantly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Fine. Sure. What the hell." Jonny gestured vaguely, leaning back in his chair.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"You haven't asked the others how they feel about it." Ashes looked Raphaella over.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jonny snorted. "Ivy spends so much time in the library she might not even notice. The Toy Soldier certainly won't care. Brian probably won't either. And I'm sure Nastya can deal with it."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ashes and Jonny stared at eachother for a moment, before they shrugged. "Alright. There should be an empty room not too far from the library." They said, turning back towards Raphaella. "How much space do you need for whatever the hell you're doing?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Probably not too much. Whatever is fine." She nodded. "I'm a scientist. I still have a little bit of work I'd like to get done while I'm here."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jonny seemed to tense up a little bit, but he didn't say anything. Raphaella looked over at him curiously.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ashes took a napkin and a pen, and scribbled something down on it. They handed it to Raphaella, and nodded. "Here. Just follow these directions."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She smiled faintly, and took the napkin, looking it over briefly. "Thank you."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She stood up, stretching out her wings for a moment. Her shoulders were getting a little sore already. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I'll get used to it eventually. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Raphaella went back to collect the equipment and notebooks she had brought with her before she headed towards the room Ashes had given her directions to. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She didn't run into anyone while she was walking. The hallways seemed to be mostly empty, which was a little bit of a relief to Raphaella. She didn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>feel like explaining why she was onboard to anyone else quite yet. She especially didn't feel like getting shot again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She took another look at the napkin Ashes had given her, and looked up at the doors in front of her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The room was fairly large, which Raphaella appreciated. There weren't any windows, and a few tables were shoved against the corners, as well as some boxes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She walked over to the far corner, dumping her stuff on a table and looking around. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>----</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After the rest of the mechanisms had left the planet, Ivy had been hiding in the library, reading through some of the books she'd picked up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She probably would have stayed like that for several weeks, but one evening, out of the blue, Jonny called her to the commons.</span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ivy was curled up in the corner, quietly reading. There were more books surrounding her in neat piles.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She was so absorbed in what she was reading that she didn't notice her comms buzzing at first.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She huffed in irritation, turning the device on and frowning. A message from Jonny. She would ignore it, but there was a 78% chance he would come down and shoot her, which she did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>want.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>J'onny: </b>
  <em>
    <span>@nerd @shipfucker @boring brian @TS </span>
  </em>
  <span>hey </span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>J'onny: </b>
  <span>get your asses over to the commons</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>shipfucker: </b>
  <span>Why?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>nerd: </b>
  <span>There is a 56% chance it's a bad thing</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>nerd: </b>
  <span>What do you need, Jonny?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>J'onny: </b>
  <span>just get over here </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>--</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ivy sighed heavily. Whatever it was, it seemed serious, so she probably shouldn't ignore it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She set down her book, standing up and stepping around the stacks of books on the floor. The library was massive, with towering shelves filled with books surrounding her on all sides. It was cramped, but Ivy found it comforting.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She'd been walking down the hallways in such a hurry that she almost passed by the normally empty room entirely.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ivy paused, turning around. The doors were open, and the lights were on. There was noise coming from inside.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Assuming it was one of the other mechanisms, she peeked in. "TS? Brian?" She called, quickly calculating which of them was most likely to be there.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ivy froze when the woman inside turned around and made eye contact with her. They both stood there, unmoving for a few moments.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ivy most certainly did not recognize her. She was tall, and had long blond hair. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>wings.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ivy couldn't do anything but stare opened-mouthed for a second.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Who the fuck are you?" She asked, slowly reaching for her gun.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The woman blinked. "Oh. Um. Hi." She smiled nervously, and her wings fluttered slightly. Behind her, Ivy could see a table that had been dragged to the center of the room with a few bags resting on it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Hi." She repeated. "Er- My name is Raphaella la Cognizi. I can explain." She stood up straighter, brushing some hair out of her face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ivy couldn't stop staring. She couldn't help herself from noticing just how </span>
  <em>
    <span>distracting pretty </span>
  </em>
  <span>this stranger was. "Right. Names Ivy. And I suggest you start talking." Ivy crossed her arms. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raphaella exhaled, her shoulders relaxing a little. "Right. Most of the crew knows I'm onboard." She informed Ivy. "So don't worry about that."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Is that what Jonny wanted to talk to us about? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ivy suddenly got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "What are you doing here?" </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raphaella gestured vaguely and spread her wings as far as they would go.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ivy's breath caught in her throat, and her gaze flickered over the gleaming metal. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm only here temporarily until you all land on another planet. I have better things to do than stick around with you lot for eternity." She said, in what was almost certainly a half-hearted attempt at a joke.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"You… Got mechanized?" Ivy asked, leaning against the door frame. "How? Why?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, most humans don't have wings, do they?" She smiled again, before turning back towards the table. "I did it myself." She said, a note of pride in her voice.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ivy squinted at her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Did it herself? How did she survive? And why would she </span>
  </em>
  <span>want </span>
  <em>
    <span>to be immortal? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She didn't ask any of these questions out loud.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Riiight. I'll… Leave you to it then." Ivy managed a tight smile, and stood up straight, immediately taking off down the hall again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Raphaella la Cognizi. Been on board for at least a week, I'd guess. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ivy shuddered. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She mechanized herself.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In the commons, the other seven were waiting for her. "Took you long enough." Jonny complained.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"What the hell happened, Jonny?" Ivy asked sharply. "What is she doing on board?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Toy Soldier blinked in surprise, before motioning for Ivy to sit next to it. "Who's On Board?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"That's what we're all here to talk about." Tim crossed his arms and leaned back. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jonny cleared his throat. "Right." He said, once Ivy had sat down next to the Toy Soldier. All eight of the mechanisms were sitting in a circle around a table. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Would you care to explain what is happening, Jonny?" Nastya asked, resting her hands on the table.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm getting to it." He snapped. "Someone else is on board. Been here for a while, apparently."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"A week, at least, I estimate." Ivy spoke up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nastya suddenly sat up. "Wait. Is it that person I was telling you about the other week? She's </span>
  <em>
    <span>still on board?</span>
  </em>
  <span>" </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Woah woah, slow down." Brian said. "What's a mortal doing on board? And still alive?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jonny grinned, spreading his arms out. "She isn't. A mortal, at least."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"What Do You Mean?" The Toy Soldier leaned forward, with what could have been a confused expression if it's face wasn't painted on.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"She told me she mechanized herself." Ivy said, reaching over and taking the Toy Soldier's hand. "Did she really?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Evidently." Marius shrugged. "I mean, Jonny shot her and she's perfectly fine. Plus, y'know, wings."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Wings?</span>
  </em>
  <span>" Brian raised his eyebrows.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"What is she doing here, exactly? How long is she going to be here?" Nastya asked, making a face at Jonny.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He shrugged. "Hell if I know. She just showed up. Said she was going to leave as soon as we land on the next planet." Jonny dug around in one of his pockets, took out his flask, and took a drink.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The eight of them sat in silence for a minute. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Where Is She Staying?" The Toy Soldier asked, bouncing in its spot. "I Could Bring Her Some Tea!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ivy made a small sound of amusement, and squeezed its hand briefly. "She's in that room we were using for storage. The one near the library. I'm not sure what she's doing in there, though."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Science, apparently." Ashes hadn't said much. They'd mostly been fidgeting with a lighter, and listening to the crew talk.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"So we're just… Going to leave her there until we land?" Brian asked. "That's all?" </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Guess so." Jonny sighed. "Do you suggest we do something else?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I didn't say that. Just checking." Brian put his hands up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"So… What? That's all? Just keep going on with our lives?" Tim asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I suppose so." Ashes flicked the lighter on and off a few times. "She can't do any real harm."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jonny slapped his knees with his hands. "Right! Glad that's settled." He stood up, kicked his chair aside with a little more force than was absolutely necessary, and left the room. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tim followed him not long after, and the rest of the mechanisms slowly trickled out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ivy walked out with the Toy Soldier, holding its hand. "You've Spoken To The New Person? What's Her Name?" The Toy Soldier asked, breaking the silence.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh. Yeah. Her name is Raphaella." Ivy told it. "She doesn't seem especially intimidating."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Does She Really Have Wings?" It asked, looking over at Ivy.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded. "She does. I can only assume that they're her mechanism, since she implied she made them herself. And they're made of metal."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Toy Soldier hummed thoughtfully. "I Wonder How They Work."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm a little bit curious myself." Ivy admitted. "They looked like they could move fine." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I Could Ask Her Tomorrow, If You'd Like!" It offered, beaming.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ivy smiled. "If you want. Let me know what she tells you." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The two of them were silent for the rest of the walk, and they stopped outside of the library. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'll see you later, TS." Ivy turned to face it. "Can I kiss you?" She asked, taking its other hand as well.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It nodded cheerfully, and Ivy leaned up and kissed it briefly, before turning around to push open the doors. "Goodnight, TS." She waved.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Goodnight, Ivy!" It responded, bouncing on its feet slightly.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*rolls in on heelies*<br/>Yea so um sorry it took me so long to update this but uH I hope you enjoyed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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